Episode 16: To bloom forever and ever without falling: Hibiscus

Final grade: B

I know some of you might find this a generous score but there are several reasons. When I set aside my disappointment in the actress Gong Seung Yeon’s dreadful acting, the kdrama itself was sound. And if I had a 20-year-old daughter who’d ask me if this romcom was something she could watch, I’d answer, “Sure. Why not?” The kdrama wasn’t mind-blowing but neither was it mind-numbing.

Moreover, the overall message of the story was unobjectionable.

1. For one, we had a heroine who knew her mind.

From beginning to end, she knew she liked Soo only as a brother. Despite his change of status in life, from a blacksmith to an aristocrat to a king, she never wavered in her friendly feelings for him. She didn’t suddenly develop romantic feelings for more once she saw him in regal attire. In other words, Gaeddong wasn’t a gold-digger.

Also, while she tried to maintain her loyalty to her missing fiancé, she learned to love another person. The way she handled her dis-engagement was laudable. She insisted that Soo hear her out immediately and she broke up cleanly. She wasn’t wishy-washy. She didn’t delay the inevitable.  And – in that quaint Kdrama way of saying she shouldered the blame – she “took full responsibility.”

Last, she loved Hoon. I liked that she was proactive in her pursuit of her happiness with him. In a culture where girls *chasing* boys are looked down upon, I thought Gaeddong’s behavior was liberating. By Hollywood standards, there’s no way I can judge her actions as vulgar. She initiated the skinship but she didn’t seduce him…if you know what I mean.

Besides, if she had allowed Hoon to dictate the pace of their relationship, then they might not have even gotten out of the starting line.

Thus, I may have serious complaints about Gong Seung Yoon’s acting but that shouldn’t negate the fact that Gaeddong was a female character I could live with.

2. We didn’t have a douchebag of a second male lead.

Now, that I’m aware that second male leads have feelings, too, (thanks largely to DoHwa of “Extra-ordinary You”) I feel sorry for this King. His character flaw is that he truly loved Gaeddong.

Although I wish he had let her go early on (yeahhh. And we wouldn’t have a story then, right?), I totally understand that he wanted to exhaust all his options to win back Gaeddong. But who wouldn’t, if they found themselves in his shoes?

He didn’t know he was a king’s son. He didn’t desire to be King of the nation. He didn’t want this role thrust upon him.

All he wanted was to marry Gaeddong and be her one and only support. That wasn’t too much to ask, right?

But as they say, “Better late than never.” I am glad that he finally saw sense and released her from their engagement. I like that he channeled his unrequited affections into more productive ventures.

Like, fixing the country.

lol. Of course, that’s so melodramatic of Lee Soo, too. It’s kinda like, “You don’t love me? Fine! I’ll make the whole country love me!!”  I’m just glad that he’s married to a new cause.

3. We had a decisive Hoon.

In Hoon, we trust.

With other romcoms, we see the hero making dumb moves and falling into a trap. But Hoon was never outsmarted, and he had a plan always. Like, this computer graphics of Hoon calculating where the terminus of the chase would be.

This was cute.

And you couldn’t forget this move, from Episode 8?

Because of this kdrama, more people discovered Kim Min Jae.

We wish him all the best in his future kdramas. But, KMJ, please ask this girl, Kim Hye Yoon to be your leading lady next time? I’ll ship your Kim-Kim show.  BTW, did anybody check their dates of birth?

His DOB: Nov 1, 1996
Her DOB: Nov 10, 1996

Coincidence or not? lol.

4. The importance of marriage

I like this kdrama’s whole emphasis on marriage as a momentous decision that must not be taken lightly. The Matchmakers are serious about their job because “marriage is once in a lifetime.”  I like Jihwa’s insistence that she chose her husband given the lack of women’s rights in that era. “I am but a woman whose life will be controlled by a man, aren’t I? So I will decide who I will marry at the very least.”  I like Hoon’s insistence that marriage be made on equal terms. “Because it’s a road that is equal to everyone. It’s narrow so carriages and horses cannot come here. So to come to Flower Crew, everyone must get off their carriages or horse to walk here. Regardless of whether they’re peasants or noble, equality is for everyone. It’s a place we find connections for people, so at least that should not be unequal, should it?”

I like that this drama gave us tidbits about a traditional wedding. I remember this from Episode 3:

The bride or groom sends a matchmaker to the other party to discuss the marriage. This is Eun Hon. (marriage discussion)
The groom’s family sends wedding presents to the bride’s house. This is Nap Chae. (wedding gifts)
The groom sends blue and red silks to the bride’s house. This Nap Pye.
The groom and his family go to meet the bride in person. This is Chin Yeong.
Joo Ja Sa Rye. (Four rituals of marriage) Only after these four processes are completed successfully can a couple become married.

And I like what Hoon said here, “Hey, apprentice (aka Gaeddong). In this country Joseon, once you marry someone, the binding is almost impossible to unbind. Despite this, most people still get married without knowing what their spouses look like.”

I think that’s a valuable lesson right there for the young generation of today. Many enter marriage without KNOWING their future spouses well. Sure, they’re aware of how their spouses look like physically…unlike in the Joseon period. But they’re still unacquainted with how their future mates look like internally. That is, mindset, the worldview, the life goals, the ambitions, the dreams, the beliefs, the values.

So, yes, I like what this kdrama has to say on marriage.

5. The dialogues between the main characters are romantic.

They remind me of Jane Austen books where we hang on to every word Mr Darcy says because he’s stoic.

Hoon: Take it off.
GD: What?!
Hoon kneels down, takes of her shoe, and sees the bloody heel. He takes out his handkerchief and wraps her foot with it.
GD: How can you put something so precious on my foot?
Hoon: Your foot is more important than this mere object.
GD: To be told that I come before an object, I’ve never been told that before.
Hoon: From now on, you come before anything else.

When you know that words like this probably embarrassed him to say out loud because they’re too romantic, then you appreciate his efforts to change for her.

See this? After he tells her that she comes BEFORE anything, he walks off leaving her BEHIND.

But sometimes no words are needed to show how romantic a scene is. Like this moment, when Hoon undid her hair and tied it all back with the ribbon he purchased for her.

I consider myself more of a dog person than a cat person but when I re-watched that whole scene, I understood why cats purr when you rub their heads.

lol.

6. The visuals

Did I tell you that I love Joseon sageuks more than Goryu sageuks because of the pretty colors? After coming home from a tiring day at work, the pretty colors brighten me up.

Of course, the pretty guys help, too.

But another thing I like about this drama is Hoon’s private sanctuary, and this library. I can imagine Belle in “Beauty and the Beast” being captivated with this room.

7. No plotholes

Plotholes happen when the writers overreach.

As I said elsewhere, many kdrama writers try too hard to weave a complicated plot only to end up with many loose ends.  (I’m worried about you, “Extra-ordinary You” writers.)

This one, everything was resolved satisfactorily.

Even the orabeoni of Gaeddong ended up with his own love: the maid. That’s the lesson there, in case you didn’t know. The fool ended up with somebody who loved him for who he really was….unlike DoJoon, the most capable informant there was in Hanyang. DoJoon would have to wait forever and be content with his clandestine love affair with JiHwa. She figured out that he thrived on secrecy and the thrill of the chase, so the best way to keep him at her side is to dangle a promise in front of him.

8. The positives outweigh the negs

Of course, there are several elements in this drama that could have been tweaked. Take for instance, the opening scene with the Crown Prince being hunted down and dying a death… that was a waste of cinematography and action shots. The director could have used all those jazzy stunts for the revolt and capture of the coup plotters in Episode 16.

Also, Crew #2 backstory was over-written (Gee, thanks, fangirls of Park JiHoon /sarc)

But what kdrama wouldn’t benefit from hindsight and a do-over? It is what it is. 

I’m giving a grade of B for benign.